FRANCHISE RANKING: The "X-MEN" Movies

Below is my ranking of the four "X-MEN" movies from my favorite to my least favorite. Here they are:


FRANCHISE RANKING: The "X-MEN" Movies

1. "X-MEN 2: X-Men United" (2003) - Bryan Singer directed the second film in the series, in which Colonel William Stryker (Brian Cox) brainwashes and questions the imprisoned Magneto (Ian McKellen) about Professor Xavier's (Patrick Stewart) mutant-locating machine, Cerebro. Stryker attacks the X-Mansion, and brainwashes Xavier into locating every mutant on the planet to kill them. The X-Men must team up with Magneto's Brotherhood and prevent Stryker's worldwide genocide. An epic-like saga that took the X-Men from New York, to Boston and later Alaska. Singer did wonders with Michael Dougherty, Dan Harris and David Hayter's screenplay.





2. "X-MEN: The Last Stand" (2006) - With Bryan Singer helming "SUPERMAN RETURNS", Brett Ratner took over the directorial reigns for this third film in the series that revolved around a "mutant cure" that causes serious repercussions among mutants and humans; and on the mysterious resurrection of a more powerful Jean Grey (Famke Janssen), who appeared to have died in "X-MEN 2". Although not as good as the second film, this entry had an operatic tone that seemed to have an emotional punch for me. Most fans hated this film, because Singer did not direct it. I did not miss Bryan Singer's direction.






3. "X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE" (2009) - Gavin Hood directed this prequel to the other three movies that focused on the violent past of the mutant Wolverine aka James Logan (Hugh Jackman) and his relationship with his half-brother Victor Creed aka Sabertooth (Liev Schreiber). The plot also detailed Wolverine's early encounters with Colonel William Stryker (Danny Huston), his time with Team X, and the bonding of Wolverine's skeleton with the indestructible metal adamantium during the Weapon X program. This movie proved to be surprisingly entertaining for me.






4. "X-MEN" (2000) - Directed by Bryan Singer, this first film in the franchise introduced Wolverine aka Logan (Hugh Jackman) and Marie aka Rogue (Anna Paquin) into the conflict between Professor Xavier's (Patrick Stewart) X-Men and the Brotherhood of Mutants, led by Magneto (Ian McKellan). Magneto tried to mutate world leaders at a United Nations summit with a machine he has built to bring about acceptance of mutantkind, but Xavier realized this forced mutation will only result in their deaths. Although an entertaining film, I have always found David Hayter's script to be rather vaque and more suited as a television movie.

"THE INCREDIBLE HULK" (2008) Photo Gallery

"THE INCREDIBLE HULK"(2008) Photo Gallery

Below is a gallery from the new Marvel comics film - "THE INCREDIBLE HULK" - starring Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth and William Hurt:

"Obssessions" [PG-13] - Chapter 15

"OBSSESSIONS"

Part 15

Bruce entered the McNeill dining room, looking very exhausted. Which Harry immediately noticed. "Morning, big brother," he greeted cheerfully. "Get a good night's sleep?"

Shooting the younger man a dark look, Bruce growled, "I'm fine!"

"Are you certain, love?" Gweneth added. She regarded her oldest with concerned eyes. "You practically resemble the walking dead, right now. Did you have a rough night?"

Bruce plopped down in one of the chairs opposite Harry and yawned. Davies served him a cup of coffee. "Well, other than Ramirez failing to show up and Hugo Kennard getting arrested for possession of marijuana, last night was peachy." His voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Hugo?" Disbelief shone in Gweneth's green eyes. "Hugo was arrested for drug possession?"

"Marijuana, Mom."

The middle-aged woman rolled her eyes in disgust and sighed. "That bloody idiot! Now where in the hell are we going to find another first-rate pastry chef?"

"I'll put an ad in the local papers," Bruce wearily replied.

"Today?"

Bruce sighed. Long and hard. "I'll do it tomorrow, Mom. I'm just not . . . I'm staying home, today."

Harry continued to stare at his older brother. "Not feeling well, after all, huh? You do look rather tired."

"Harry's right," the McNeill patriarch added. "I realize that you've been working evenings for the past two weeks, but this is the first time you've looked so . . ."

Bruce slammed his empty cup on the table, startling Harry and their parents. He shot out of his chair, toppling it over. "What the hell is wrong with everyone?" he cried out loud. "So I'm a little tired! So what? It's no big deal!" He started toward the door. "I'm going back to bed!"

Elise McNeill appeared in the doorway. "Did I just hear someone shout . . ." Her oldest grandchild stormed past her. "Oh. Bruce." She stared at her family, frowning. "Is there something wrong with him?"

* * * *

Olivia strode into the precinct's squad room and toward her desk, attracting stares from fellow officers. One of them, an attractive, dark-haired man in his late twenties named Scott Yi, approached her desk.

"Inspector McNeill?" Yi said with a frown. He glanced at the clock on the wall. "Aren't you here a little early? I thought you shift didn't start until eight."

"It does," Olivia coolly replied. "I . . . uh, I had some extra work to finish, this morning."

Yi nodded. "Oh. Uh, does this have to do with the new unit being formed under In . . . Lieutenant Morris? I'm one of the . . ."

"Yeah, I heard," Olivia said, interrupting. "Looks like we'll be seeing a lot more of each other, starting next month. As for my work - it has to do with the case Morris and I are working on now."

Dark eyes lit up with interest. "Oh yeah! The Mann case. Uh, there's a report from Interpol on the lieutenant's desk about some woman you had asked about. And Forensics had delivered a report on some piece of evidence you had found." Yi snatched a yellow envelope from his desk and handed it to Olivia. "Apparently, Forensic had delivered right after you and the lieutenant had left, yesterday."

Olivia could not help but roll her eyes at the absurdity of the situation. "I can't believe this!" she declared. "You mean to say that it took Forensics practically a whole week to deliver this goddamn report? A week?" She opened the envelope, retrieved the report from inside and read it.

The report stated that a partial fingerprint had been discovered on the button found inside DeWolfe Mann's apartment. Since it had failed to match any known person with a criminal record, Forensics decided to check the Department of Motor Vehicles records. And found a match. When Olivia read the name on the report, her jaw practically dropped.

"Something wrong, Inspector?" Scott Yi asked.

Olivia finally overcame her shock. "No, I'm . . . uh, I'm . . . it's nothing." She shook her head. "Um, thanks for the report. Is Lieutenant Morris in yet?"

* * * *

Nearly an hour later, Darryl's eyes scanned the report in his hand. The moment he had arrived in the squad room, Olivia had shown him the Forensics report. "Nick Marcano? That name sounds familiar. Who is he?"

Olivia replied, "Don't you remember him from the Sunday brunches? He's a witch. A Streghone. Quiet guy with dark hair, whose aunt happens to be an old friend of my mother's?"

Darryl let out a gust of breath. Olivia's description conjured up memories of a dark-haired, attractive man in his early thirties. A man with an unassuming manner. "You mean the guy who always seemed to be mooning over your brother's fiancé? The one who belonged to some Italian pagan sect?" he added.

"That's him," Olivia acknowledged. "There's a very good chance that he may have killed Mann. Don't forget that Phoebe's vision included a man's hand slitting the victim's throat."

"But why? Does the guy have something against gays?"

Olivia shrugged her shoulders. "Well, it's like you said - Nick was always mooning over Barbara. It's possible that he wants Bruce dead and Barbara for himself." She went on to explain a theory that came to her, last night. That Portia Della Scalla was in San Francisco to kill Bruce.

Darryl found the whole idea far-fetched and said so. "I mean, why didn't Marcano kill Bruce, himself?"

"And risk facing a murder charge?" Olivia leaned forward and lowered her voice. "Or even worse, face two powerful witches like my parents? Why bother when you can summon a daemon to the job for you? But something must have prevented the demon from attacking Bruce at my parents' house. Probably the protection spell."

Darryl added, "By demon, you are referring to the Della Scalla woman. Right?"

Olivia nodded. She handed Darryl another report. "This also came in after we left. From Interpol." While he read the report, she continued, "According to the report, she worked at the Rome office of VOGUE magazine in the 70s. After eleven months, her boss had died mysteriously of some "wasting" disease. And Miss Della Scalla disappeared, never to be heard from again. And six years later, she wrote the first of five best-selling novels. All romances. Her publisher also ended up dead from the same disease."

"What the hell is this wasting disease?"

"I don't know. It's possible she used some kind of magic to kill them. If only I knew what kind of daemon she is." Olivia took a deep breath. "Now, if my family's protection spell prevented her from killing Bruce at the house, then she and Nick had to find another way to get close to him."

Darryl looked up from the second report. "Namely, DeWolfe Mann's interview with your brother. I wonder how Marcano found out about it."

"Probably from Barbara or Paige at Ostera's. Nick goes there a lot."

Darryl continued, "And with Mann dead, Miss Della Scalla could take his place. Get close to Bruce. Only . . ." He frowned. "Surely she and Nick couldn't have known that Dean would assign her to the story? Let alone go ahead with it, since he was reluctant about it in the first place?"

Olivia hesitated. "I don't know, Darryl. Maybe . . . maybe this Portia has some kind of psychic ability." She paused. "As for now, I think we better get a search warrant for Nick's apartment. Or maybe an arrest warrant."

Darryl stood up and donned his jacket. "Or maybe both. We already have sufficient grounds to arrest him. There's a judge I know - Ray Itoga. If we can catch him between court sessions, maybe we can get both warrants."

"How nice. A trip to the courthouse." Olivia grabbed her jacket.

A smirk played on Darryl's lips. "Plan to pay a visit to a certain ADA?"

Olivia smiled acidly at her partner. "That's none of your business, Morris," she replied sweetly. "And wipe that smirk from your face." Darryl, fortunately, did not bother to respond.

* * * *

"Are you sure that you don't want to join me?" Elise McNeill asked her grandson. "Especially since you're not going to the office, today."

Harry followed his grandmother and father to the foyer. His mother had already left the house. "Thanks Gran, but no thanks. I have some work to catch up on, and I'd rather do it here, where I won't be interrupted. Besides, I'm not in the mood for one of Vanessa Probst's charity luncheons."

"Then I might as well avoid it, as well," Jack McNeill commented. "Since you're staying home today, someone has to be at the office."

Elise glared at her son. "Oh no you don't! You're not getting out of this. I need someone to escort me to that godawful party and you're it! Besides, this is important. The luncheon is a fund raiser for UNICEF and I'm a member of the fund-raising committee. You just make sure that you and Davies pick me up from Connie Ward's place at precisely eleven-thirty."

"What about your grandsons?" Jack protested. "They're both going to be home, today."

Harry immediately spoke up. "C'mon Dad! You know I have a lot of work to do. And I don't think Bruce is feeling very well. He's just cancelled his appointment with that Della Scalla woman."

The McNeill matriarch frowned. "You mean he hasn't even returned downstairs to finish his breakfast, yet?"

"I think he's still in a bad mood, if you ask me." Harry hesitated. "Uh, I haven't told anyone this, but I thought I had heard a voice inside Bruce's room, last night. A voice that belonged to a woman. Only I didn't find anyone inside. But . . ."

Jack urged his son to continue. "But what?"

Harry sighed. "I don't know. I could have sworn I also smelled gardenias."

Elise frowned. "Are you sure? Perhaps Bruce's TV was on, last night."

"It was off," Harry added.

His father and grandmother exchanged confused looks. Then Elise continued, "Are you saying that a daemon or some other magical being was inside Bruce's room? I mean, how is that possible? Especially with the protection spell surrounding the house. Surely that would have stopped him."

"Or her," Harry said. "Remember, I did hear a woman's voice."

Jack added, "What about that Italian reporter that your mother and Bruce saw yesterday? Miss Della Scalla? Isn't Livy suspicious of her being involved in that columnist's death?"

"Oh Jack, it can't be her!" Elise protested. "Didn't Phoebe Halliwell have a vision of a man killing DeWolfe Mann? Besides, what does he have to do with Bruce?"

Jack replied, "I don't know, Mother. But like I've said before - I found it very convenient that this woman would show up to interview Bruce so soon after Mann's death. Perhaps I should stay home with Harry. Cancel that meeting with Mark Giovanni. In case a visitor actually does show up."

"You'll do no such thing," Elise shot back.

Davies opened the front door. "Pardon me, Mrs. McNeill, Mr. John, but the car is ready."

"Thanks Davies," Jack replied. He turned to his mother and sighed. "Ready Mother?"

Elise let out a heavy sigh. "Oh God! I'm not really looking forward to today. As for you," she said to Harry, "perhaps you should check on that protection spell when you get the chance. If someone did get inside Bruce's room . . ."

Jack gently steered his mother toward the front door. "Let's go, Mother. If I have to eventually go to that luncheon, so do you. Beiside, I'm sure that Harry knows what to do. And I'll be late for that meeting." The two McNeills bid Harry good-bye and left the house.

* * * *

Both Olivia and Darryl strode out of the judge's chambers, looking as frustrated as Olivia felt. "So much for Judge Itoga," she muttered.

"What can I say?" Darryl said. "I had no idea that he was out of town. You know of any judge who can help us?"

Olivia contemplated her partner's question. "I've usually gone to Bob Gleeson for a warrant, but he's also out of town. I'm beginning to wonder if some there's some judge's convention going on in another part of the country."

Shaking his head, Darryl replied, "Damned if I know. Maybe we should check with one of the court clerks to see who's available." The pair started along the corridor and toward the elevator. Upon reaching their destination, they came across a familiar figure.

"Hello!" Paul Margolin greeted the pair with a smile. "I didn't realize that you two would be here. Are you here to see me about the DiMatteo case?"

Olivia shot her fellow witch a quick smile. "No, we're here about the DeWolfe Mann case. We're trying to get hold of a warrant."

Paul quickly sobered. "So you have a suspect, huh? Who is it?" Olivia informed the ADA about the button found inside the victim's apartment and the partial fingerprint belonging to Nick Marcano.

"And you need a judge to issue a warrant?" Paul asked. "I think I have the woman for you. Carlotta Alvarez. She'll be presiding over the DiMatteo case."

Darryl asked, "Is she available?"

"I just left her chambers, a few minutes ago." Paul glanced at his watch. "In fact, she's not due back into court for another forty minutes."

"Great!" Olivia wished she could kiss Paul, at that moment. Instead, she settled for a grateful smile. "Thanks for the help, Paul," she said softly.

He responded with a winning smile. "No problem. Mind if I join you? If this Marcano fellow has summoned a demon, you might need all the help you can get."

Olivia glanced at Darryl, who immediately looked away. As if he did not want to make the decision to include Paul. A frown touched Olivia's countenance. Then she flashed another smile at the ADA. "I would more than appreciate your help," she replied graciously.

* * * *

Slowly, Phoebe cracked open her office door and peeked into the newsroom. There seemed to be no sign of the Signorina Della Scalla. Whose office door was definitely closed.

"Is she there?" Piper asked.

Phoebe shook her head. "No. There's no sign of her. Of course, she could be inside her office."

Piper said, "Phoebe, you've already called her extension three times. No one answered. She's probably not there. Let's go."

"Okay, explain it to me again, why we're about to break into this woman's office?"

Calmly, Piper repeated her explanation. "Because both Olivia and Cole have asked you to keep an eye on her - in case she happened to be a warlock or demon. Because Paige told us that Cole has gone through the trouble of looking into her background - something we've tried and failed with the Book of Shadows. And because, when we saw Bruce with the Italian stallionette yesterday, it looked as if she was trying to put the mojo on him. C'mon Pheebs!"

Phoebe sighed. "What if she comes back, Piper?"

The older woman rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Phoebe, what's going on? What happened to the bold little sister who would have broken into that woman's office without any hesitation?"

Phoebe retorted tartly, "She grew up." After a pause, she added, "Have you considered that someone might see us going into her office?"

"So, we sneak in!"

"Why don't we summon Leo or Paige to . . ." Phoebe broke off, as Piper grabbed her arm. "Piper! What the hell are you doing?"

Through gritted teeth, Piper hissed, "We're going inside that woman's office. Now!" She dragged the younger woman out of the latter's office and quickly marched across the newsroom. Fortunately, no one seemed to notice the two sisters, as they entered the Italian columnist's office. Phoebe glanced around to ensure that she and Piper were not being noticed. Then she gingerly grabbed the doorknob and opened the door. The two sisters quickly slipped inside.

They scanned the office's interior. Aside from a few pieces of furniture that included a desk, a few chairs and two files, the office seemed bare.

"How long has she been here?" Piper asked.

Phoebe replied, "Two days. Since Monday. I guess she hasn't been able to decorate her office, yet." A sigh left her mouth.

Piper glanced sharply at her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. It's just . . ." Phoebe's voice quavered slightly. "It's hard to believe that a week ago, Wolfie was still alive. In this office."

The older sister gave Phoebe's should a sympathetic squeeze. "I know, honey. I know. But now, we have Bruce to be concerned about. Do you think you can summon a premonition from something in here?"

"Why is it that everyone keeps demanding premonitions from me?" Phoebe protested. Despite her cry, she began to search the office for any of Portia Della Scalla's belongings. "First Olivia, and now you."

The search for an object proved to be one in vain. After five minutes, the sisters could not find anything that belonged to the BAY-MIRROR's newest columnist. "Doesn't this woman have anything in here?" Piper complained. She sighed. "And as for your premonitions, how else can we find out what's going on? The Book of Shadows can't foresee any future danger." She opened the desk drawer and grunted.

"What is it?" Phoebe demanded. She stood near one of the file cabinets.

Piper withdrew a magazine from inside the desk. "This. VOGUE magazine. Interesting reading material for a food critic."

Phoebe held out her hand. "Let me see." Piper handed her the magazine. The moment she touched it, Phoebe found herself engulfed in another vision. She saw Portia Della Scalla grabbing hold of Bruce McNeill and disappearing into a cloud of smoke. Then she saw Bruce and Portia having sex inside an elegant bedroom. That disturbing vision was replaced with one of Bruce lying on the bed. Dead. Once the vision ended, Phoebe gasped out loud and dropped the magazine, as her knees buckled under.

Slender hands firmly gripped Phoebe's arms and pulled her to her feet. "Phoebe?" Piper cried. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"I . . ." Phoebe took a deep breath. "I had a premonition. Of Bruce and Portia. Oh God! Piper! We've got to warn him to stay away from her!" A surge of energy shot through Phoebe. She immediately started toward the door.

Piper cried after her, "Phoebe! Wait up! Phoebe!"

The younger woman had already opened the door. She stepped outside the office and nearly collided with a tall figure. She glanced up. "Oh! Uh, Jason. I uh, . . ."

"What were you doing inside Portia's office?" the publisher demanded with a frown.

"Oh, uh . . . I was . . . uh, looking," Phoebe replied uneasily.

Jason's frown deepened. "Looking for what?"

"For whom." Piper shot out of Portia's office and closed the door. "We were looking for Portia." She gave her sister a pointed look. "Right Phoebe?"

The younger woman immediately nodded. "Yeah, right." She tried to bypass her boyfriend. "Look Jason, I really need to get going."

Jason blocked her path. "Where are you going? And why are you in such a hurry?"

"I'm not . . ." Phoebe finally exercised her skill at quick thinking. She moaned slightly and pressed a hand against her forehead. "I'm not feeling well. I think I'll go home."

"Then why were you inside Portia's office?"

Piper stepped forward. "Phoebe became ill, while we were looking for . . . her. Um . . ."

"Looking for Portia," Phoebe quickly added. She gave Jason's cheek a quick peck. "Listen baby, I really need to get home. I'll call you later. Let's go, Piper." The two sisters escaped from Jason and made their way back to Phoebe's office.

Once inside, Piper reached for the telephone on Phoebe's desk. "I'll call the McNeill home to see if anyone is there. Maybe someone can warn Bruce." She paused. "Do you know their phone number?"

Phoebe rolled her eyes and sighed. "No, I don't." She took the phone receiver from Piper's hand. "Why don't you call for Leo? And I'll call Darryl and Olivia." While she dialed the number to Darryl's office, Piper cried out her husband's name.

END OF PART 15

”PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: Curse of the Black Pearl” (2003) Review

”PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: Curse of the Black Pearl” (2003) Review

Nearly seven years ago, ”PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: Curse of the Black Pearl” had burst upon the movie screens and to the surprise of many, became a major hit. Even more surprising, the movie ended up spawning a wildly successful movie trilogy within another four years and also a new cinematic icon for the 21st century – Captain Jack Sparrow.

Judging from the forums and blogs on the Internet, it seems to me that ”Curse of the Black Pearl” is the most popular film in the ”PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN” franchise. In a way, I can understand. It lacked the darker aspects of the two sequels that followed. Directed by Gore Verbinski and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, ”Curse of the Black” is based upon the attraction at the Disney parks. In it, the pirates of the ship known as the Black Pearl, led by the vile Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), need to restore the missing piece of the ancient Aztec gold treasure of Cortes and sacrifice the blood of "Bootstrap" Bill Turner to save themselves from eternal punishment owing to a curse that fell upon them when they stole the gold. The buccaneers attack Port Royal and kidnap Miss Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) who has the missing piece of gold. In order to rescue Miss Elizabeth Swann, William Turner (Orlando Bloom) enlists the help of the fabled Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) who devises an ingenious plan to retrieve the Black Pearl from his mutinous former first mate, Captain Barbossa, and help William Turner save the love of his life

Screenwriters Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio created a frolicking tale filled with swashbuckler action, an interesting supernatural story that involved cursed treasure and undead pirates, and sharp humor that almost bordered on the cock-eyed. Most of this humor came from the leading man himself, the excruciatingly talented Johnny Depp. His portrayal of the morally ambiguous and androgynous Captain Jack Sparrow took a great deal of moviegoers and critics by surprise. He certainly took me by surprise. No other actor in Hollywood or anywhere else has ever portrayed a pirate in this manner. Not surprisingly, Depp won an Academy Award nomination and a Screen Actors Guild award for his performance.

It seemed a shame that Geoffrey Rush had failed to earn any acting nominations for his performance as the menacing Captain Barbossa. Come to think of it, his performance was more than menacing. Like Depp, he gave a performance filled with a great deal of off-the-wall humor and sharp dialogue. I also enjoyed Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley’s performances as the star-crossed young lovers, Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann. Ironically, both actors seemed to have better chemistry with either Depp, Rush or both than with each other. Until the final battle. And I found that odd, considering that their screen chemistry seemed a lot more convincing in the final action scene inside the large cavern on Isla de Muerta and in the two following sequels. I wonder if this had anything to do with the fact that Will and Elizabeth spent most of the movie suppressing their feelings for one another.

As for the rest of the cast that made up the movie, they were superb. Jack Davenport gave a commanding, yet sardonic performance as Will’s romantic rival – Commodore James Norrington of the Royal Navy. Mind you, Davenport really grew into the role in ”Dead Man’s Chest”, but he did a good job in this film. And what would a ”PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN” be without Kevin R. Nally as Josiah Gibbs, Lee Arnberg as Pintel and MacKenzie Crook as Rigetti? I could list all of the supporting characters that made this movie memorable, but it would take forever. I will simply state that Verbinski was very lucky to find himself with an excellent cast.

I had noted earlier ”Curse of the Black Pearl” is not as dark as its two successors. I wonder if this is the reason why many fans prefer it over the other two. If I have to be honest, I do not share the same sentiments. Do not get me wrong. I love this movie. But it is not my favorite ”PIRATES” movie. That honor goes to the second film - ”Dead Man’s Chest”. As much as I love ”Curse of the Black Pearl”, there were times I wish it had been a little more ambiguous. With the exception of the Jack Sparrow character, the other characters are clearly either the good guys or the bad guys. There seemed to be little room for moral ambiguity.

There was another aspect of ”Curse of the Black Pearl” that I had noticed – even when I first saw the film. For a movie set in the Caribbean, I really did not see much of it. Yes, there were scenes set aboard ships. But aside from a sequence featuring Jack Sparrow’s arrival at Port Royal, his first meeting of Elizabeth and Norrington and the island where Barbossa stranded Jack and Elizabeth; the movie never really captured the aura of the Caribbean – at least for me. And I had noticed something else. Cinematographer Dariusz Wolski used a lot of close ups in his shots. I remembered that those close ups made me feel slightly dizzy and claustrophic when I first saw the movie.

Despite certain elements of the film that did not appeal to me – Wolski’s photography and the less ambiguous tone of most of the characters – I still love ”Curse of the Black Pearl”. I love the story, Klaus Badelt’s score, Gore Verbinski’s direction, and the characters. Especially Johnny Depp’s performance. Hopefully, this movie and the two that followed will one day be viewed as film classics. They are already classics in my eyes.

"THE PACIFIC" (Episode Three) Commentary

I wrote this commentary on the third episode of "THE PACIFIC":


”THE PACIFIC” (Episode Three) Commentary

Following their evacuation from Guadalcanal in January 1943, members of the U.S. Marines First Division enjoyed a respite in Melbourne, Australia. There, characters like Bob Leckie and Sidney Phillips enjoyed romances with local Australian girls. John Basilone enjoyed a period of heavy drinking and dodging the MPs before receiving his Medal of Honor for his late October actions on Guadalcanal.

Unlike 2001’s ”BAND OF BROTHERS”, this third episode featured the very first one that did not include any combat. Instead, the First Division Marines enjoyed a respite filled with booze, women, a medal ceremony and more training. This episode featured two of our major characters confronting their demons. But let me focus on the minor stuff first.

Some of the funniest romantic scenes featured Sidney Phillips romancing a young Australian girl, under the watchful eye of her grandfather. Ashton Holmes was a hoot portraying Phillips’ struggles to suppress his desires and somewhat more questionable actions (like leaving the “base” without a pass) in order to impress his new girlfriend’s Draconian grandfather and behave like a Southern gentleman. His funniest moment occurred in a scene inside a pub where Phillips was trying to assure the girl’s father that he intends to be the perfect gentleman, when the MPs appear. Although he assured both his girlfriend and her grandfather that he had a pass, he subtly suggested that they leave the pub through the back door.

Other funny moments featured Leckie’s friends, Hoosier and Chuckler. From the moment when the Marines are bivouacked at a cricket stadium, Hoosier and his government issued blanket are never apart. Never. He quickly fell asleep, while Leckie, Runner, Chuckler and other Marines left the stadium without permission – clinging to his blanket. And for several days, it never left his side. Another moment featured the Marines back in formation at the stadium, the day following their first night of liberty. Most of them looked as if they had spent a week of debauchery with no sleep . . . including Lieutenant Corrigan. One Marine could not even remain standing and in a moment of pure slapstick, fell flat on his face. Corrigan did not say a word. But the funniest moment – at least for me – featured a drunken Leckie coming upon poor Chuckler on guard duty at the stadium. Why did I call Chuckler “poor”? In a scene that brought back memories of my mad dashes to the bathroom, poor Chuckler was dancing his ass off, while trying to convince Leckie to stand guard in his place so he could relieve himself. I have to pause for a moment to keep my laughter in check. Excuse me.

This episode did not feature any scenes of Eugene Sledge. However, I suspect that viewers will be seeing him in the next episode. It did feature Basilone receiving his Medal of Honor. Like the other Guadalcanal veterans, Basilone and his friend, J.P., hit the streets of Melbourne for a night of heavy drinking and debauchery. The pair found a convenient bar where they indulged in a great deal of booze and a brief, yet violent encounter with Australian servicemen. Fortunately, their hostile encounter with the Australians became friendly. But when Basilone reported to Chesty Puller’s office the following day, Basilone was not so fortunate. One, he learned that he was to receive the Medal of Honor, which produced a delicious “WTF” expression in Jon Seda’s eyes. Then his expression became even stranger, as Puller chewed out Basilone for failing to set a good example in Melbourne . . . before eventually throwing up. Next to Chuckler’s “dancing” moment, I thought this was the funniest scene in the episode.

However, matters did not seem that funny when Basilone finally received his Medal of Honor in a formal ceremony at the cricket stadium. Poor bastard looked as if he wanted to flee for his life, instead of receiving that medal. I do wonder if something within him suspected that medal would separate him from J.P. and the rest of his men, as surely as death had separated Manny from him. The expression in his eyes seemed to hint it not only during the medal ceremony, but also when he bid good-bye to J.P. and on that flight to San Francisco near the end of the episode. And I have to give kudos to Seda for expressing this emotion without saying a word. In fact, he did a damn good job all around.

Finally, we come to Leckie. Man, I do not know what to say about him. Actually, I do. But I suspect that describing James Badge Dale’s interpretation of Leckie’s character would take a multi-page essay. It is that complicated. In fact, Robert Leckie seemed to be one of the most complicated characters I have come across in any biopic either in a movie or on television. I cannot recall any character in ”BAND OF BROTHERS” as complicated as him. Judging from his conversations with his Australian girlfriend Stella and her Greek-born mother, his demons had already been established before he saw combat or had joined the Marines. As much as he loved his family, Leckie apparently did not like being part of a big family – especially as the youngest member. He seemed to have felt crowded, yet at the same time, ignored. His description of his father made me revised the father-son good-bye scene in "Episode One. At first, I thought Leckie Sr. was simply reluctant to bid his son good-bye. I had no idea that the older man was also suffering from slight mental problems.

The episode started well for Leckie. He met Stella on a trolley car and managed to garner her interest, despite being drunk. The two seemed to take to one another like duck to water. And watching Badge Dale and Australian actress Claire van der Boom act together made me realize that they have a strong screen chemistry together. Although their loves scenes were slightly explicit, they were still very tasteful. Frankly, I saw nothing that anyone could complain about. Thanks to van der Boom’s excellent performance, Stella proved to be just as complicated as Leckie. Upon his return following a three-day hike for the Marines, she eventually dumped him. She claimed that her mother, who had taken a shine to him, would have great difficulty in dealing with his death. But Leckie had witnessed her reaction to the news of a friend’s death and immediately surmised that she was simply guarding herself from possible future heartache.

Needless to say, Leckie did not take the end of his romance very well. Not only did he get drunk, lost his temper with Lieutenant Corrigan after the latter confronted him for taking Chuckler’s place during guard duty, while the latter was taking a piss. Not only did Leckie ended up in the brig for a period of time with Chuckler, he was booted from the company and his friends, and assigned to become an intelligence scout. Poor Leckie. But I must say that the more I watch Badge Dale's skillful portrayal of the complicated Leckie, the more I have become impressed by his talents as an actor.

Episode Three proved to be an entertaining episode. Viewers got a chance to see how some of the characters behaved away from the threat of combat. However, I rather doubt that it will ever become a favorite of mine. Aside from the personal conflicts of Leckie and Basilone, it lacked the edge that Episode One and Episode Two possessed. I suppose that is due to the lack of combat shown.

"ALICE IN WONDERLAND" (2010) Photo Gallery

Below is a photo gallery featuring images of Tim Burton's new movie for Disney, "ALICE IN WONDERLAND". The movie starred Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter and Anne Hathaway:

"ALICE IN WONDERLAND" (2010) Photo Gallery

Top Ten (10) Favorite "STAR TREK VOYAGER" Episodes

Below is a list of my ten (10) favorite episodes from the television series, "STAR TREK VOYAGER" (1995-2001):


TOP TEN (10) FAVORITE "STAR TREK VOYAGER" EPISODES



1. (5.12) "Bride of Chaotica" - Tom Paris' latest holodeck adventure, "The Adventures of Captain Proton", takes an unexpected turn when Voyager encounters an area in space that is home to photonic extra-dimensional aliens. My favorite TREK episode of all time.






2. (3.16) “Blood Fever” - After deciding that B'Elanna Torres would be the perfect mate, Ensign Vorik passes on his case of Pon Farr to her, which leads to problems during an Away mission.






3. (4.07) “Scientific Method” - A group of cloaked or hidden aliens performing scientific experiments on the Voyager crew, which have an effect upon various crewmembers.






4. (5.06) “Timeless” - Fifteen years in the future, Chakotay and Harry Kim attempt to prevent the Voyager from crash-landing on an ice planet. This marked the series' 100th episode and was directed by "STAR TREK NEXT GENERATION" regular, LeVar Burton.






5. (3.24) “Displaced” - Voyager crew members are replaced one-by-one with aliens from an unknown race.






6. (7.11) “Shattered” - Voyager is fractured into several time periods by an accident, and only Chakotay is able to move between them, in the process meeting old friends and old foes from the previous six seasons.






7. (5.22) “Someone to Watch Over Me” - After being chided for intruding upon Paris and Torres' privacy by closely observing their relationship, Seven-of-Nine decides to explore dating with some help from the Doctor.






8. (2.21) “Deadlock” - A duplicate Voyager is created after the ship passes through a spatial scission, while being pursued by the Vidiians.






9. (7.03) "Drive" - The crew of Voyager enter the Delta Flyer in a sub-warp race, crewed by Paris and Torres, and events conspire to encourage Tom to propose to her.






10. (1.11) “State of Flux” - Chakotay, Tuvok and Janeway discover that one of Voyager's crewmembers has been aiding the Kazon against the ship.